Abstract

This paper discusses three related methodological problems from the point of view of a researcher interested in studying young people's leisure experiences. The first part of the paper makes a moral argument for why we should attempt to listen to young people. The second part of the paper uses an example from research with young footballers to explain how a modified grounded theory (GT) methodology can be useful in achieving this aim. Modified methods for engaging young people in discussion - e.g. mind maps and vignettes - are introduced here in the context of a developing GT study. The third and final part of the paper engages critically with some of the epistemological problems inherent in GT, notably the problem of induction. Two radical reactions to the problems of GT - essentialism and anarchism - are critically reviewed before a third way is introduced. This third position is critical rationalism and it is argued that this position may help researchers engage in GT research in a fundamentally critical and progressive fashion. © 2010 Taylor & Francis.